Evaporative water cooler



' w. M. SIMPSON 2,562,827

EVAPORATIVE WATER COOLER July 31, 1951 Filed March 26, 1947 /yrmmviy IN V EN TOR.

Patented July ET, 1951 EVAPORATIVE WATER COOLER Walter M. Simpson, Evansville, Ind., assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 26, 1947, Serial No. 737,303- Y 8 Claims. (01. 261- 24) The present invention relates to improvements in evaporative water coolers and more particularly to an arrangement of splash battles in a cooling tower.

Cooling towers usually comprise an upright casing enclosing suitable screens orother liquid distributing surfaces for dividing thewater to be cooled into thin films over a large area as it flows therethrough by gravity. A portion of the water evaporates into air flowing countercurrent thereto and the abstraction of the heat of vaporization from the remaining water reduces its temperature. The cooled water drips from the liquid distributing surfaces into a sump at the bottom of the casing and an air inlet opening is provided therebetween so that the water falls a substantial distance as it drips into a pool of water in the sump and produces a splashing noise. Such cooling towers are. usually large installations for commercial. plants and located outside of the building so that the noise of splashing water is not objectionable.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a small, compact and efficient cooling tower for domestic use to provide cooling water for a household appliance, such as an absorption refrigeration system. 7

Another object is to provide an arrangement of splash bafiies in a cooling tower to eliminate the noise produced by water dripping from the liquid distributing packing into a pool of water in th sump.

Another object isto provide an air screen. and splash baflle assembly in .the form of a drawer adapted to be readily inserted intoand with; drawn from the casing to facilitate cleaning. and servicing of the assembly andsump.

Another object is to provide combined air screen and splash baflie assembly units at opposite sides of the casing which cooperate to pro-. vide splash baflies over a substantial part of the cross-sectional area of the casing.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of splash bafiies of the type indicated which will not interferewith or restrict the flow of air through the casing.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the following description anddrawing in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several views. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and not a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims. In the drawingi at the inside of the frame.

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a cool-i ing tower incorporating the splash bafile arrangement of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the cooldng tower showing combined air screen and splash baflie units mounted in the air inlet openings at opposite sides of the tower; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one of the combined air screen and splash bafile units. Referring to the drawing the present invention is shown applied to a cooling tower comprising an upright sheet metal housing or casing having a lower part 5, constituting a sump, an intermediate part 1 for enclosing a liquid distributing packing and an upper part 8 constituting a blower assembly The sections 6, l and 8 are supported by a framehaving corner stanchions 9 with plates in extending between the lower endsof the stanchions 9 at the front and back of the frame. The plates H], see Fig. 2, have out wardly projecting flanges H at their lower edges to provide feet for supporting the frame and inwardly projecting flanges l2 at their upper edges for supporting a rectangular sump tank 13. Sump tank l3 projects beyond the front and back of the frame and hasan inwardly directed marginal flange [3a at its upper edge which form an inverted V-shaped seat at the upper edge of the tank. Qverlying the ends of the tank are panels l4 attached to the corner stanchionslB The tank [3 and panels l4 constitute the lower part 6 of the up right housing orcasing.

The intermediate part I of the casing com prises a back panel [5 and end panels (not shown) which are mounted on the corner stanchions 9 of the frame to provide an enclosing housing havingan open front, An up er cross piece l6 extends between the end panels of the intermediatesection l of the casing at the top of the open front which is of angle shape. in cross section forming a front flange, a cross web con; stituting a seat ll and a depending flange 18 offset rearwardly fromthe front flange, seeFig. 2. Angle flanges l9 are fixedly attached to the inside faces of the rear and end panels to pro vide a seat 29 on three sides constituting a continuation of the seat I! of the cross piece It. A lower cross pieceZl also is provided at the bottom of the open, front having a front flange offset forwardly from the plane of the upper cross piece flange I6 The lower edge portionsof the back panel l5, the end panels and the lower edge of the cross piece 2| are flanged inwardly to stiffen the structure. Extending'betw'een the lower ends of the end panels are beams 22 for supporting the liquid distributing packing as later described.

A removable service door 24, claimed in my copending application for Letters Patent Serial No. 737,302 filed concurrently herewith, cooperates with the end panels andupper andlower cross pieces 16 and 2| to close the open iront er the intermediate casing part 1. The service door 24 has its lower end set into the forwardly offset flange of the lower cross piece 2|, a rearwardly projecting flange 25 at its upper edge abutting the depending flange I8 of the cross piece l 5 and suitable sealing means at the sweep; the ddor to seal the intermediate casing part I to prevent water from leaking out or air frorn leaking into the casing. Removable wing bolts 26 are screwed into brackets 21 on the cross piece I6 to detach.- ably connect the service door to the casing and handles 28 are provided on the door to facilitate itsremov'al. Y

Air inlet openings ".29 air." jovided between the lower and intermediate casing parts} and] at the front and back of the casingand-theppenings extendthrough'out the width of thecasing. The air inletoperiin'g 29 at the frontof th easing exitends between the top edge, of the sump tank 13 and the cross piece 2| and the air'inlet, opening at the back of theeasing extends between the top edge of the'surnp tank and the bottom edge of the rear panel H,

The upper casi part 8 is a hollow box-like sheet metal casing havin anfopfinbottom and resting on the seats 11' and 2D, the lojwe r edges of its front and rearward walls being shaped to conform to the seats, A The casing part 8 is mounted on the intermediate casing part1 by merely placingit on the'sje'at's ll 'an"d2 (l. On one side of the upper easing per were tenet openir'igs 3m through which airjfro 'n the casingjils discharged. Suitably mbunted'in, the -casing part 8 areinduction fans 3| for drawing air into; the casing through the airiinllet openings and disehargingit throughfthefair' 0'. let penings'et.

Each fan 3| comprise'sfascroll'cas' g;32fan dblade wheel 33 and the wheels of theiplurality er fans are mounted on a gomm'onshaft 3T4 driven by a motor '35 and belt 35 positionedfiirivardlyof the line of section 'of Fig. 2 jand"1n cated by'dfot'ted lines. The 35 metered in 'a compartment 8a in thefcasing part 8 and"halving a small s'e'rvice door 8b to permit eeeess the meter. Detachable housings 8c at-tl' r'e ends of the'casfiiig' part8enc1ose the bearings for'tl i'e wheel'shaft a4 and the belt at. v

Water 'to be cooled delivered 'to the te'p of the intermediate part 1 or the easing by ajpibe :1 having branches-i8 with spr y nozzles an "at their ends. Underlying the 'sprayii'oz'zles 3'9 is a packing of the type claimed in'my application for Letters Patent Serial No. 737,3'04'fl1'edco'nci1rrently herewith. Suffice it to state "herein "that the packing comprises aplural'ityof wooden slat frames 40 arranged inside "by side relationship.

Each slat frame consists of a plu'rality of'gnerally horizontal slats 4| attached in Spaced relationship to one side'of-lvertical supporting strips 42. Each of thes'latsfl has aserrate'd'lower'edge to provide a "series "of drip forming projections 43 for distributi the wate llhifdffiflYaS itflows i by gravity to the n'ex't'adjacent'ldwer"slat; The supporting strips hold tlie'islats "4t adjacent frames in spaced'relationship andathestrips of adjacent frames "arefarran djfinoftsetist g gered relationship. "The slat"fianies"40 extend 4 from a position slightly below the nozzles 39 to the bottom of the intermediate casing part 1 and the frames are supported at their lower ends on the beams 22 extending between the lower ends of the end panels of the casing.

The water delivered from the spray nozzles 39 flows by gravitythrough the slat frames 40 of the liqiiid dist'ributing packing inzthe intermediate part 1 of the casing and into the sfirnp tank 13.; Thus, the water flows countercurrent to the direction of flow of air through the casing and a-s'er'ies or water separating baffle plates 44 are provided in the upper casing part 8 between the spray'fiezzies 3'9 and fans 3| to reduce the amount of spray discharged with the air.

Mounted in the sump tank [3 and forming an integral part thereof is a suction pipe 45 having an inlet-filter screen 46. The suction pipe 45 extends through the end of the sump tank l3 and is nwtes to a mQt I dr v P 41 m u te or; a platif' I 4; adapte to beattached tothe 'hionsfifadliacent the sump tank at corner s'ta'n either 'rid of theiranie. An outletpip'e 4'9 from the pump delivers cooled water from the si'irnp tank l3 to ne-pmeewn re it is to be used. An q rfibw pipe in noise o f wateridrippingfroin thebo tto rn of the s latifram'eslh'of the packing into a pool of water in thesu'i'np'tank (3.; Thespla sh bafil'e's are arranged Separate s'ets and the baffles "of each Set are eembined with ari-e rse'reen 56 in a unit assembly mounted en air 'inle't'op'en'ing '29 at the front' or were: thfepooiing tower.

Each eombiried eir sefeeneznd splash bafile unit comprises a marginal rraiiresrrer mounting the semen '56 and wings 58 extending rearwardly from the end members of the marginal frame. The edges er the wings 58 extend downwardly atan ang'le fromthe bottom-'bf'the screen and then rearwardly to prdvide a depending portion 59 below the-screen. Th'e'splash baifies 55 are in are fdrinof plateS eXtendin'g'betWee'n the depend- "g'portions 59 of the 'wings'tfl with flanges '60 attheineiids attached to the wings as by weld ing. The foremost splash baffle plate has its-forwaraeage overlapping-the top edge of the bottom m'ember 6| 'of'the' marginal 'frame, see Fig. 3, and extends'rearwardlyat anangle to the frame. Each'of the successive splash-bathe plates '55 is mounted in spacedparalll'Telationship with its upper edg'e positioned' -forWardly of the rearward edgeof theprecedingplate so that theplates of each assemblyare arranged angularly in spaced overlapping "relationship.

The air screen-and splash baffle-assembly units areslid i'ntoand'outzot the'air inlet openings 29 the'm'anner 'of a 'drawerand the units have handles oirtheforward faces-of the end members of the margina'rframeil toi'acilitate their insertion orremoval; Thev'lower member is] of the' marg'inal *scteeniran're '51 and the foremost splash name plate 56sprovi'de a'notcl'ied' seat'on the unit assembly cooperating" with the inverted v shapeu seatformedafithe froht or back edge of V the sump tank l-'3"b'y the inwardly directed marginalflange fia fAs'illu'stifa'ted in Fig. 2, "the upper 'andfflower nie' nbersof the marginal screen frame srare i'ncl'iri'edforwardly and'rearalso" provided in the um tank 3- which eittendg erticany a; predetermined packing.

wardly to adapt them to rest against the lower cross piece 2! and the front of the sump tank 13, respectively, when the notched seat is engaged with the edge of the tank. Thus, an air screen and splash bafiie unit may be slid into each of the air inlet openings 29 at which time the overlapping splash baflle plates 55 cover a substan-. tial portion of the cross-sectional area of the cooling tower. To bridge the area between the inner ends of the splash bafiie units an inverted V-shaped baffle 53 extends between the end panels 14 above the sump tank I3 and overlies the innermost splash bafile plates 55. of the separate units.

As will' be observed by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing the splash bafile plates 55 are .positioned below the air inlet openings 29 sotthat they do not obstruct or otherwise resist the flow of air into the casing and the bafiie 63 acts as a guide for directing the air for vertical flow through the packing. It will also be observed that the lower edges of the plates 55 extend below the liquid level of the pool of water in the sump tank l3 as controlled by the float 52. Thus, water from the packing frames 4t v drips onto the angular baflie plates 63 and 55 and runs down the plates into the pool of water without any splashing noise. One form of the invention having now been described in detail, the mode of operation of the cooling tower is explained as follows.

Water to be cooled is delivered to the cooling tower through the pipe 31, branches 38 and nozzles 39 in the form of a spray uniformly distributed over the top of the packing. Simultaneously, air is. drawn into the cooling tower by the induction fans 3 I, the air entering through the screens 56 and air inlet openings 29, flowing upwardly through the slat frames '40 of the packing and water eliminating bafile plates 44 and discharging through the outlet openings 30. The water sprayed from the nozzle 39 descends onto the top slat 4| of each slat frame 40 and flows by gravity down the sides of the slats in a thin film to the drip forming projections 43 at its bottom edge. The water drips from the pro-. 'ections 43 onto the top of the next lowermost slat and continues to flow by gravity over each successive slat of the slot frames 40 from the top to the bottom of the packing. Due to the drop forming projections the water does not run through the packing in localized streams but is uniformly distributed throughout the Water from the lowermostslats 4| of the plurality of frames 40 drips onto the splash baflles 53 and 55 and runs into the pool of water in the sump tank I3 without noise.

As the water flows in thin films over the slats 4| of the slat frames 40, a portion of thewater is evaporated into the, stream of air flowing through the packing. The heat of vaporization is abstracted from the unevaporated water which reduces its temperature to a value. approaching to the wet bulb temperature of the air entering the cooling tower. The cooled water in the sump tank I3 is drawn into the suction pipe 45 by the circulating pump "and delivered through the pipe 49 to the appliance to be cooled, such as the condenser and absorber of an absorption refrigeration system, and then back to the distributing pipe 31.

The front of the intermediate casingsection 1 may be opened by removing the service door 24 to permit removal and replacement of slat frames 40, cleaning or painting the interior of the-tower or servicing of defective parts. Fur-r thermore, the service door 24 may be removed to. permit, observation of the tower while in operation.

When it is desired to clean or paint the com binedair screen and splash bafile assembly units or permit access to the sump tank [3, the units are removed by merely withdrawing them from the air inlet openings 29 by means of the handles, 62. When a splash baffle unit is being withdrawn from the air inlet openings 29 the foremost splash baflie plate 55 slides outwardly on the inwardly directed flange l3a of the tank l3 in the manner of a drawer after which the unit is lifted free from the tower. A splash bafile unit may be inserted into an air inlet opening 29 loy merely aligning it with the opening and then sliding it into; the tower until its notched seat engages th e edge of the sump tank l3.- Each splash baffie unit is supported in its proper position in an air inlet opening 29 by the engagement of its. notched seat with the edge of the, sump tank .13 and the engagement of the upper member of the marginal screen frame 51 with the cross piece 2!. Due to the angular relationship of the top and bottom members of the screen frame, the latter closely fit the front of the cross member'ZI and sump tank I3. Thesplash baffle units in the airinlet' openings 29 atthe front and rear of the cooling tower extend "inwardly toward each other and the baffle plates 55 of each unit together with the bafile 63 cover the entire cross sectional area'of the tower. The baflles 55, however, are positioned below the air inlet openings 29 so as not to interfere with the flow of air into the tower and the lower edges of the baflie plates extend below the level of the poolof liquid in the sump tank I 3. It will now be observed that the presentinvem' tion provides a small compact and efiicient cooling tower adapted for domestic use to provide cooling water for a household appliance such as an absorption refrigeration system. It will also be observed that the present invention provides an arrangement of splash baffles in a cooling tower to eliminate the noise produced by Water dripping from the packing into a pool of water in the Sump. It will still further be observed that the present invention provides a readily removable air "screen and splash bafile unit assembly adapted to be inserted into and withdrawn from an air inlet opening in the manner of a drawer; and in which a pair of such units cooperate to provide splash baiile plates over a substantial part of the crosssectional area of the casing without restricting or otherwise interfering with the flow of air through the casing. While a single embodimentof the present in vention is illustrated and described, it will be understood that modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of elements with out departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, the invention is defined by the following claims.

.I claim:

'1. In a cooling tower, an upright casing, liquid distributing packing in the casing, liquid supply in'g means for delivering liquid for gravity flow through'the packing, a sump below the packing for receiving liquid from the packing, an opening inone side of the casing between the packing and sump, a self-contained bafile assembly unit movable into and removable from the casing through the. opening therein, said baflie assembly until atemanrzi 1 comprising baifle elements ror intercepting liquid dripping frdm the packing to prevent it rrom splashing into a pool of liquid in the sum and means on said bailie assembly unit cooperating with the casing at the-sides of the opening for mounting the unit 'in the casing to locate 'the splash baffle elements in their proper position withrespect to the packing and s'um'p to intercept liquid dripping-from the packing.

2. -In a cooling tower,-an upright casing, liquid distributing packing the casing, liquid supplying means for delivering liquid for gravity flow through the packing, a sump below the packing for receiving liquid from the packing, an opening inone side of the casing betweenthe packing and sump, a self contained baffle assembly unit movable into and removable from the casing through the opening therein, said b'afil'e assembly unit 'compris'in'g side members with a plurality of 's'plash baffle plates mounted on and extending between said side members, and means on said baiiie assembly unit cooperating with the'casing adjacent the opening for mounting the unit in the casing to locate the splash baflle plates at an acute'a'ngle to the surface of the liquid in spaced overlapping relationship.

3. In a cooling tower, an upright casing, liquid distributing packing in the casing, liquid supplyi'n'g means for delivering liquid for gravity flow through the packing, a sump below the packing for "receiving liquid flowing from the packing, means for circulating air through the packing countercur'rent to the'flow of liquid including air inlet openings at opposite sides of the casing between the packing and sump, and "self-contained splash b'aflle assembly units movable into and removable from the casing through'the'respective air inlet openings. each of said splash baiile assembly units comprising a pluralit of splash baille plates mounted 'in spaced parallel relationship, and means on the splash baflie assembly'units cooperating with the'c'asing adjacent their'respective' air inlet openings 'formounting the unit'sin'the casing to locate the'individual splash-baffle plates at 'an'acute'angle to the 'surface of the liquid in the suln'pin s aced overlapping relationship over substantially the entire cross-*sectional'area of the tower.

4. Ina coolingt'ower, an upright casing, liquid distributing packing in the casing, liquid supplyingt'neans in the casing for delivering liquid for gravity flow through the packing, a sump below" the packing 'for receiving liquid "flowing 'fr'o'm' the packing, means for "circulating air through the packingcountercurrent to the flow of li'quid'ineluding an air inlet opening in the casing between the packing and sump, and a combined air screen and "splash baffle unit in theform of a drawer freely movable into and removable'fromfthe'air inlet opening in thecasing.

' '5. In a cooling 'tower, "an uprightcasirig, liquid distributing packing in the casing, liquid supplying'means inthe casin for "delivering liquid'ior gravity flow through the "packing, a sump below the packing for receiving liquid fioWingYromthe packing, means for circulating air through the packing c'ountercurrent to the flow of liquid including air inlet openings on opposite 'sides'o'f the casing, and a combined air screen and splash baille unit mounted in each air inlet opening, each-unit having a screen-overlying the airinl'et opening and -'a plurality of splash ba'flie plates below the air inlet-and arranged in spaced overlapping relationship to receive liquid dripping iron the packing, and the units at oppo'site sides cooperating to provide overlap ing bam'e plates were substantial part of the cross-sectionalarea of the casing. l

6. ma coolingtowen an upright casing, liquid distributin'gp'acking inthecasing, liquid supplying-meansin the casing above the packing for delivering liquid for gravity now through the packing, ar-sump below the packing for receiving liquid flowing -from the packing, means for circulating air through the packing counter-current to the now of liquid-including an air inlet opening in the casing between the packing and sump, and a combined airiscreen andsplash baffle unit having a marginal frame overlying the easing at the sides of the air inlet opening, an air screen mounted in the marginal frame, supports projecting-from the sides of the marginal frame-into the casing adjacent the sides of the latter, and splash b'aflles extending between and mounted on'thesupports in spaced overlapping relationship.

7. In a cooling tower, an upright casing, liquid distributing packing in the casing, a liquid supplying means'in the'casing above the packing for delivering liquid :for gravity flow through the packing, a sump below the packing for receiving liquid flowing from the packing, means for circulating air through the packing 'countercurrent to the flow of liquid including an air inlet opening in the casingbetween the packing and sump, and a combined air screen and splash baille unit having a-m'arginal frame overlying the casing at the sides of the air inlet opening, an air screen mounted'in the marginal frame, wings projecting rear'wardly and downwardly-from opposite sides of the marginal fram'e, and a plurality of splash baffles extending "between the wings in spaced overlapping relationship below the air inlet opening with their ends attached to the wings.

8. -In 'a' cooling tower, an upright casing comprising an upper rblower housing, an intermediate packing housing anda lower sump tank, said sump tank extending beyond thefront and rear of the packing housing, spray nozzles in the casing for delivering liquid for gravity flow through the packing, air inlet openings at oppositeisides ofthe casing between the packing housing and sump tank extending throughout the width of the housing, and combined air screen and splash baflle units in the air inlet openings, each unit having a marginal screen frame, supports projecting from the sides of the marginal'frame, and splash baffles extending between and connected at their ends on thelsupports ':in spaced, overlapping relationship below the air inlet openings, .the forward edge of the first baiile overlapping the marginal frame to provide a notched seat, and said units being mounted on the casing by the engagement of their notched seatswith the edges of the sump tank at the bottom of the air inlet openings and the engagement of their'marginal frames with the casing at the sides of the air inletopenings.

YVALTER. M. SIMPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date $4 8,319 Weightman Apr. 24, 1900 1,287,402 Mordber'g Dec. 10, 1918 1 ;99 7,2 74 Betz Apr. 9, 1935 "2,347,757 Thomas May 2, 1944 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,562,827 July 31, 1951 WALTER M. SIMPSON It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 6, line 75, for until read unit;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of October, A. D. 1951.

[SEAL] THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gammz'esz'oner of Patents. 

